Skip to main content

SI All-American Candidate Gregory Penn III Highlights and Evaluation

Gregory Penn III is a linebacker prospect from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. Penn is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: Gregory Penn III
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
Position: Linebacker
School: Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic
Committed to: LSU
Projected Position: Linebacker

Frame: Adequate height with above-average length. Some muscle definition in upper extremities and trunk, with room to add some weight throughout. 

Athleticism: Quicker than fast with a burst through the line of scrimmage. Solid lateral ability with inside-out pursuit style. Good play diagnostics with build up in reaction time out of the box. Could stand to open up stride. 

Instincts: Aggressive approach in declaring early and anticipating snap count on blitzes and/or inside stunts. Solid motor through the whistle with scraping ability in between the tackles. Asked to spy against athletic passers on occasion with eye discipline and has success in contain. 

Polish: Efficient movement skill with inside-out style. Despite the aggression, he breaks down with control versus the run and when attacking the passer. Appears athletic enough to hold his own in coverage, though not asked to do so much at the prep level. 

Bottom Line: Penn is an early-down run-stuffing linebacker with great activity level and range from sideline to sideline. He has the quickness and physicality to rack up tackles by the dozen, complete with tone-setting finishing power. As he adds some mass and develops on third down, it won’t take much to get him on the field at a high major program.